Thomas j



T. J. YATES.

CARPET CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION .FILED um. 1. 1916.

1,199,517. Patented Sept. 26,1916.

Fig. 1.

MM in 7 Invenrgr. Thomas J. (at es UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. YATES, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO YATES MACHINE COMPANY, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CARPET-CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Se t 26, 1916 Application filed January 7, 1916. Serial N 0. 70,868.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. YATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Carpet-Cleaning Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in carpet cleaning machines and is particularly adapted toapparatus for the cleaning of rugs and similar articles.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, efficient and durable instrumentality for expeditiously cleaning carpets, rugs and the like.

Another object is to provide means automatically to remove the articles cleaned from the cleaning means and to carry them to drying or other usual apparatus.

A further object is to provide improved means whereby the whole of the article may be cleaned by the operation of the machine.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a semi'diagrammatic view in side elevation of the cleaning machine; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the leader disengaging mechanism at the moment of disengagement; and Fig. 4 is a detail of the leader and attached fabric showing the rug attached to the latter. Fig. 5 is a plan view of that part of the machine shown in Fig. 3.

The apparatus shown in the drawings of this selected embodiment of the invention substantially comprises a rotating cylinder, around which is drawn the rug or other article to be cleaned, while coincidently, brushes, revolving in a direction the reverse of that of the cylinder, bear against the article. The face of the rug or carpet is outwardly presented in its traverse of the cylinder so that the brushes properly may exercise their cleaning function.

Heretofore, carpets, rugs and similar articles, have been attached to the moving parts of cleaning machines so that the forward end is not cleaned, necessitating an additional operation to cleanse properly such part subsequent to removal from the machine. Or, if stitched to a short piece of fabric in turn secured to the machine, the stoppage of the machine is entailed for the manual separation and removal of the article from the leader fabric after the article is started through the machine. Herein is provided, not only an apparatus which permits the thorough cleaning of the entire body of the article, but which also functions automatically to draw the whole body of the article through the cleaning portion of the machine and to carry the cleaned article therefrom to a suitable receptacle or to the usual drier. In this preferred form of the device, a hollow cylinder 1, having its axle 2 suitably journaled in the frame 3 of the machine, is employed. This cylinder is rotatably actuated from a suitable power source through any of the common trans- I111SSl0HlnBd1a, such as, for example, belt and pulley, gear train, etc. The periphery of the cylinder is transversely recessed, a single recess 4 being shown. A leader -5, preferably rigid, such as a wooden or metallic rod, is receivablewithin this recess and its ends project slightly therebeyond. It is through the medium of this rod and groove engagement that the article to be cleaned is drawn partly around the cylinder in contact with the cleaning media. The cleaning media preferably employed in this machine comprises brushes 10, journaled in the machine frame and rotarily actuated in a direction reverse to that of the cylinder. These brushes are so arranged that they brush the surface of the carpet or rug on the cylinder. These brushes may have associated therewith cleaning fluid receptacles of the type common in this art and therefore not shown. The end of the rug or carpet is connected to this leader 5 and, in order that the end of the rug or carpet may be presented to the cleaning means equally with the whole body of the article, a fabric 6 is suitably secured to the leader 5 as by stitching. The end of the article to be cleaned, herein illustrated as a rug 7 ,is detachably fastened to'this fabric 6 as by stitching. Obviously, a plurality of articles may be fastened to the fabric and so be run through the machine together. The rug 7 is preferably placed upon a support, such as a table 8, having a suitable take-off provided by the over-hanging top 9 which downwardly curves adjacent the cylinder.

In order securely to retain the leader through each ear.

within the recess during its traverse with the cylinder, a novel locking or latching means is employed. It is preferable that this latching means should be so constructed asto be automatically tripped and unlatched at a v predetermined point as to permit the removal of the leader and attached rug. For this purpose, preferably, a'lat'ching means is carried by the cylinderon each end face, ad acent each end of the transverse recess 4."

in Fig. 1. The latch, in this position, pro-,

j ects across the end of the recess 4 and these similar opposed latches function to retain the inserted leader in position in the transverse recess.

Means for removing the rug or other article from the cleaning cylinder and for transferring it readily to the drying or other carrying apparatus is provided. While not essential to the'operativenessof this machine, it is decidedly preferable in the interestsof economy and efficiency that this removing and transferring mechanism be automatic. And, in order that a substantially continuous and positive feed or pull of the rug through themachine be aflorded, there is preferably provided an instrumentality. automatically to engage the leader upon its removal from the cylinder. This removing and transferring means comprises primarily, a leader release, a receiving medium and a carrier cooperating with the latter to carry-the leader with its attached rug from the cylinder-"and thereby to draw the remainder of the rug through the cleaning portion of the machine. In this selected embodiment each latching member is provided with a lever 16 pivotally mounted on a downward extension 17 of the plate 11.

The link 18 is pivotally, secured at oneend to the lever 16 and at its other, or upper end is pivotally secured to thecollar 14 of the latch 13. The normal position of this lever 16 is that shown'in Fig. 1 wherein it is disclosed in "a position substantially at a right angle to the positionassumed by the link 18. This position of the lever 16 permits the latch to close the recess end and to retain "the leader therein. The maximum inner position of the link 18 is determined by the stud 19 on the plate 11. A simple means of tripping each of the thus-projecting levers 16 is provided by the trip. 20

formed by an arm projecting from a standard 21. The trips 20 engage the short terminally offset portions of the levers 16. Such a standard 21 is positioned at the front of the cylinder 1 adjacent each end thereof and as they are similaronly one is shown and described. This trip 20 is positioned in the path of traverse of the lever 16 in its movement with the cylinder 1. The arm 22 projects from the standard 21 in spaced relation to the arm or trip 20. This arm 22 functions as a means positively to remove the leader from the recess l after it has been unlatched through the agency of the trip 21. While any suitable means may be used therefor, this has been found eifectively to achieve the purpose. The arm 22 engages the end of the leader extending beyond the cylinder recess and by means of its angled relation .to the path of the leader end functions as a cam surface to cause the leader to move from'the recess. An arm 23, having spaced relation to the cam arm 22, receives the end of the leader 5. The position and angle of these two projecting arms 23 of the similar and opposed standards 21 are such that the leader is received thereupon. In this embodiment of the invention means are provided to cooperate with the receivers immediately to engage and'r'emove the leader therefrom, pulling the attached rug with the cylinder and against the cleaning action of the revolving brushes. This means comprises a pair of similar endless carriers 24, one each passing adjacent the opposed standards 21. Each of these carriers 24 is provided with a plurality of curved hooks 25 which function in their passage by the receivers to engage the respective ends of the leader when positioned thereupon. These carriers 24 are preferably endless chains actuated at the same rate of speed and traveling between sprockets 26 mounted in brackets 27 on the standards 21. The top portions 30 of the arms 22 are offset sufficiently to permit the rate and traveling, similarly to the carriers,

between. sprockets 28, one only being neces sary to be shown. The drier chains have hooks 25wsimilar to those of the carriers.

Slides 29, formed by the sprocket brackets projecting from the standards 21 offer means for automatically effecting the transfer of the rug-attached leader from the carrier to the drier.

- In operation the device is simple and eflicient. The rug, placed upon the table 8, has its end'stitched or otherwise fastened to the fabric 6 of the leader. The cylinder is turned until the recess 4 is adjacent the take-off when the leader is inserted therein so that the face of the rug is outwardly predraws the rug around while it is thoroughly brushed by the oppositely driven brushes. After the cylinder, in its rotation, has passed the position shown in Fig. 1, the opposed trips 20 engage the offset portions of the outwardly projecting levers 16 of the latches and cause the latter to be depressed. Overcoming the tension of the springs, the latches are withdrawn from looking position across the respective ends of the cylinder recess. The resultant direction of rug drag holds the leader within the recess until the ends of the leader, projecting outwardly from the recess termini, are engaged by the cam arms 22 which force the leader to drop to the receiver arms 23. The drop gives rise to just sufiicient slack in the rug drag to permit the leader ends to ride down the receiver arms. In this position, the leader ends are immediately engaged by the hooks 25 of the moving carrier by which the rug is thereafter positively drawn around the cylinder and against the action of the brushes as before. Conveyed to the top of the carrier, the leader ends are released by the reversal of direction of the hooks 25 and,

descending the opposed slides 29, are en I liable to derangement and the machine is highly eificient even in the hands of un skilled operatives.

The construction disclosed herein is illustrative but not restrictive and the same may be modified within the meaning and scope of the claims which follow.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by' to detach said leader from said member, and means operable to engage said leader and carry said leader and thereby said detached carpet from said member.

'3. In a carpet cleaning machine, a rotatable member, means for detachably fastening the carpet to said member, means for feeding tangentially the carpet to the rotatable member, means to clean said carpet in its movement with said member, and means operable automatically first to detach said carpet from the rotatable member and thereafter detachably to fasten the carpet to a drying instrumenta1ity.-

4. In a carpet cleaning machine, adriven rotatable member, means cooperating with said rotatable member to clean a carpet positioned on the periphery of said rotatable member, a leader attached to one end of the carpet whereby the carpet endis also presented to the cleaning means, means for detachably securing the leader to the rotatable member whereby the carpet is positively moved by the driven rotatable member and cleaned, a power driven carrier, and means for detaching and thereafter transferring the leader from the rotatable member to said driven carrier whereby the wholecarpet is positively moved past the rotatable member and thereby cleaned.

5. In a carpet cleaning machine, a rotatable cylinder having its'periphery transversely recessed, carpet cleaning meanscoeperating with said cylinder, a leader secured to one end of a carpet and receivable in said transverse cylinder recess, latching means normally retaining the leader in said recess, means operable upon a predetermined traverse ofthe rotatable cylinder to unlatch and to remove said leader from the recess, and means to engage said leader and thereafter draw the carpet past the cleaning means whereby the whole carpet is cleaned.

6. In a carpet cleaning machine, a rotatable cylinder having its periphery transversely recessed, carpet cleaning means cooperating with said cylinder, a rigid leader receivable in said recess and projecting beyond the ends thereof, said leader having flexible means for securing one end of the carpet thereto whereby said carpet end is also cleaned, latching means carried by the cylinder normally to retain the leader within the recess, tripping means to unlatch the leader at a predetermined point, means to engage the-projecting ends of the unlatched leader and positively to remove the leader from the rotating cylinder.

7 In a carpet cleaning machine, a rotatable cylinder having its periphery transversely recessed, carpet cleaning means 00- operating with said cylinder,'a rigid leader receivable in said recess and projecting beyond the ends thereof, said leader having flexible means for securing one end of the carpet thereto whereby said carpet end is also cleaned, latchingmeans carried by the cylinder normally to retain the leader'with in the recess whereby .the carpet -is posi-,

tively moved'past the cleaning means by the rotating cylinder, tripping means to unlatch the leader. at a predetermined point, means to engage the projecting ends-of the un-' tively moved past the cleaning means, simi-:- lar standards positioned one at each end of said rotatable cylinder, each of the similar standards having arms projecting in spaced relation therefromand functionmg at a predetermined point inthe -movement of the cylinder successively to unlatch, remove and receive, the leaderfrom said cylinder, and driven means cooperating ,withthe receiving arms of the standards to engage and carry the leader whereby the carpet is positively drawn past the cleaning means and carried P therefrom.

,9. In a carpet cleaning machine, a rotatable cylinder, carpet cleaning means cooperating with said cylinder, a rigid leader having means for securing a carpet end thereto, means for latching the leader-tothe cylinder, means to unlatch the leaderfat a predetermined point in the rotation of the cylinder and thereafter to remove thejleader from the cylinder, a slideway to receive each end of the removed leader to convey the leader from the cylinder, and a carrier to engage the end portions of the conveyed leader. I

10. Ina carpet cleaning machine, a driven, rotatable member, carpet cleaning means" cooperating with said member, a

rigid leader having means for securing a carpet end thereto, means for detachably securing the leader to the rotatable member whereby the carpet is positively moved by said member and cleaned, a power driven carrier having means to engage the ends of theleader, means for detaching and thereafter transferring the leader from the rotatable member to the carrier whereby the whole carpet is positively moved past the rotatable member and thereby cleaned, said carrier being movable to raise and there after to release the leader at a predetermined point, an inclined slideway to receive the ends of the released leader, a driven drier adjacent the lower end. of said slideway toengage and convey the leader and attached carpet.

11. In a carpet cleaning machine, a rotatable member, means for detachably fasten ing the carpet to said member, means to clean said carpet in its movement with said member, means operable automatically to detach and remove said carpet from the member, means operable automatically to engage and carry said removed carpet and thereafter to release said carried carpet, and means operable automatically to receive and carry said released carpet whereby the carpet is dried.

12. In a carpet cleaning machine, a rotatable cylinder, means for detachably fastening the leading end of a carpet to the periphery of said cylinder, means operable after a partial rotation of said cylinder to detach the leading end ofthe carpet from the cylinder, means to engage the detached leading end of the carpet and thereafter draw the carpet past the cylinder, and means for cleaning the carpet in its traverse with and past the cylinder.

In testimonyswhereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

' I THOMAS J. YATES.

copies of this patent may be obtained for 1 cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Iatents, I 7 Washington, D. 0. v 

